Technical Is the 5.0 TOO much?

Greeting everyone from the edge of the continent.
This is my first posting.
A neighbor has a 1962 Falcon that's been sitting for a few years. My plan is to buy it in a few months. The thing is it has a 5.0 but left the factory with a 170 and 2 speed auto (the current owner has the original engine and trans).
The car still has all the 6 cylinder springs, brakes and diff.
Is the 5.0 too much for old 6 cylinder parts?

Thank you for any input.

Deacon Guy

 

If it were me I would replace the front suspension, the rear end and suspension, as well as all the brakes. It isn't just the weight of the 5.0 but the additional torque, speed, and a heavier foot that comes with it that will create problems. Why wait for something to break? It never does it at the best time! OH, 5.0 isn't spoken around here as its too new. Tell everyone its a 260 or a 289!

 

In a word... yes, it's too much. Convert to 5 lug (minimum 8" rear), and strongly consider upgrading to front discs. Other good things are hedging on non-traditional, so tread lightly.

 

??????????? WTF!! I guess the 350 is ancient????

 

Good morning Gordon C. I thank you for your input. It'll be like eating an elephant...it can be done...one bite at a time. It's a 4 door but I like it. The engine, forgive a newbie for being too modern, is a 302.
Best regards,
Deacon Guy

 

302 is fine, but 5.0 is way too modern. Even though it's the same engine. Cubic inches are traditional, liters are not.

 

Good morning Gordon C

Good morning Mr. T Body, thank you for your input. That's what I was thinking. Easy with the right foot until it is safe. Have a great Thursday.
Best regards,
Deacon Guy

 

Hey I don't make the rules but I sure see a lot of shit flying when someone starts to bend them! So call your 350 a 327 and alls right in the land again!

 

You will be fine if you keep your foot out of it, lets face it, that's impossible so as others have mentioned, find the replacement parts and swap them out.

If you can locate a early 60's mustang rear axle and the 5 lug front spindles/springs and drums you will have most of what you need. HRP

 

BTW, I have a 302 in my Ranch Wagon, but in actuality it's a little newer. HRP

 

When I was in HS a guy I worked with had a '62 Falcon with a small block and a T-10. It still had the 4 lug running gear. Every time he got on it he broke a u joint. The original 4 lug running gear isn't up to the power of a small block nor are the brakes. Everything you need for the up grade including better brakes is available from many vendors/pick apart.

 

Hey HRP...thanks for chiming in. One thing that concerns me is pinion angle as I don't have any knowledge of it. Swapping the diff isn't too unnerving. It's the angle I'm stumped on...for now.
Regards,
Deacon Guy

 

Aren't the torque boxes kinda weak on the 6 cylinder cars?

 

Set at ride height.

Most engines with the carb pad level points the trans tail shaft 3 deg down. Make your pinion point up 3 deg and call it a day

 

HI 51504bat....good morning. Is the T-10 recommended by more folks than a top loader? I'm very much a newbie and appreciate all input.
Regards,

Deacon Guy

 

Hi Tim...good morning. Sounds easy enough. Thank you very much!
Cheers.

Deacon

 

Pinion angle is fairly simple.




The odds are if you find a early Mustang rear axle it will basically bolt in place and using the studs on the rear springs it should locate the pinion angle in the right location. HRP

 

Hey Saltflats....good morning. That info is outside of my pay grade. Maybe another member can answer that. Thanks for your reply.
Regards,
Deacon

 

Mid '60's Mustang, Falcon, Comet 5 lug rear end should be a bolt in. When I converted my '65 Falcon wagon from an automatic to a stick a T-10 was a direct bolt in. Don't know about a top loader. I do know that both trans have several different tail housings with different mount configs.

 

Hey HRP, that makes it look simple. Thank you for sharing.
Deacon

 

I don't believe the 6 cylinder cars even came with torque boxes. Another thing to consider adding along with all the suspension, drive train, shock tower bracing and on. A lot of work and money for a four door car IMHO.

 

Turning a 62 Falcon into a V8 car is enough to drive a person insane.
Falcon stuff
Fairlane Stuff
Mustang stuff
Granada stuff
Maverick stuff
Comet Stuff
Fullsize Stuff
All can provide something. There is a combo in there but....

In the end it's still a 6cyl Falcon.

No matter what you do it will never be a 63 260 Sprint.


I may sound negative but I'm trying to give an idea of what's to come. My Uncle a Falcon Guy said this about his 60 Falcon 302 car....

On a very Positive Note....The Falcon Platform as a Traditional Hot Rod rather than A Fox Body Clone....

A different albeit Traditional take on the Little Falcon.....

Yeah I know it's a double title, I guess.

I can think of no greater hot rodder than Vic Edelbrock Senior. Junior was a fine man and both are sorely missed but Vic was there from the start.
I wish I could find the 1961 edition of the Popular Mechanics how to do it Encyclopedias that I studied as a kid. They everything from fallout shelters to swimming pools. My favorite was on Hot Rodding.

None other than Vic Sr was shown standing next to a multi carbed Falcon 144 six on a stand. This must have shortly before his death. Vic Edlebrock Sr. was playing around and experimenting with the Falcon six.

How cool is that?

That's the philosophy of a real hot rodder right there. Anybody can put a big engine in a small car but making that tiny engine perform almost like a big engine, or much better than stock...thats hot rodding.

My point is this....You can spend a lot dough in rebuilding the Falcon to have a V8. Maybe just maybe more money than it takes to build a Model A V8 or totally restore a basket case Galaxie.

Now hopping up the six solves a lot of problems. You still have the car...You don't loose the little car . You make the little car a hot rod with most of it intact .

 

Very good post...

Yes, you have to ask yourself, when you're done with it, will you have the car you really want?

Usually the car that's available, isn't the car you really want.

 

So nothing on the car can withstand the power of a 302, but by adding more power to the six there is no problem....I put a 318 in a six cylinder Valiant and proceeded to drive the ever loving shit out of it, didn’t upgrade a part, never had an issue, ideal? No, not at all but don’t overthink it.

I highly doubt the 302 makes enough power to seriously worry about upgrading every part in the car
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If Ford thought they could have safely and reliability used the lighter weight components with the V8 engine they would have done so to save money.

Charlie Stephens

 

I had a nice little 62 nova a couple years back that I thought about yarding out the inline 6 and dropping in a 327. But that would require a trans, rear end, brakes, 5 lug wheels, suspension, floor shifter (was 3 on the tree), and on and on. I sold it to someone that wanted a sweet little 6 cylinder Nova

 

The six cylinder first-gen Falcons don't have torque boxes (with a few exceptions); in fact the entire body is much lighter-duty compared to the '63-65 V8 bodies. When Ford added the V8 in '63, they not only added the boxes to the V8 shell, but increased the metal gauge of the shock towers, frame rails, crossmembers, inner and outer rockers as well as adding additional bracing in several places. They didn't do this just for the hell of it...

The exceptions were the wagons/Rancheros which got the heavier frame rails in the rear (and the '63-65 versions also got torque boxes in the rear) and the convertible, which used the complete V8 shell with even more additional bracing. Interestingly, when Mercury increased the wheelbase on the Falcon-based '64-65 Comets they used the V8 shell on all models regardless of engine choice. They found a marked improvement in handling and NVH (noise, vibration, and harshness) rating. The first-gen Mustangs also used six and V8 body shells mimicking the Falcons.

V8s in the six cars has led to frame and shock tower cracking, so be aware.

 

That's a good lesson, if I was the OP I'd take that Falcon, but get the original 6 & trans that came with it, and put them back in, and sell the 5.0 & trans to recoup some of the cost of buying the car. Then make it a nice little 6 cyl Falcon.

 

Yup in all fairness I know nothing about Falcons


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I agree with that!
If he wanted a little more power, he could acquire the 200 cubic inch six. Looks just like the 170, but a bigger and better engine.





Bones